Physician Accused Of Death Plot Police Say Man Sought To Have Ex-wife Killed

January 28, 1989|By T.L. STANLEY and AMY DePAUL, Staff Writers

Dr. Timothy Toward gave a man he believed to be a killer-for-hire nearly $7,000 in cash on Friday, a down payment on the murder of his ex-wife, police said.

But the man that Toward paid to kill his ex-wife, Lynda, was actually an undercover police officer, said Sgt. Michael Gillis, spokesman for the Riviera Beach Police Department.

After the deal was completed, police arrested Toward, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens and has a general medical practice in Riviera Beach.

Toward, 41, was charged with criminal solicitation for the commission of a first-degree murder. Toward was taken to Palm Beach County Jail. His bond was set at $1 million.

Toward wanted his wife dead because of money she was receiving from him, police said. Police would not say whether the money was alimony and gave no other details about motives.

Riviera Beach Police first learned of the plot when the department received information that Toward was trying to buy weapon silencers, Gillis said. The department also learned that Toward wanted to hire someone to kill his ex- wife, police said.

The Riviera Beach department then enlisted the help of the Palm Beach State Attorney`s Office, the county Sheriff`s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and began planning an undercover operation, police said.

On Friday, Toward met with an undercover agent at the Holiday Inn on Belvedere Road and Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach, Gillis said.

There, Toward gave the officer a down payment of $6,950 in cash to kill his ex-wife, Gillis said.

Police did not determine what the entire price of the murder would have been. Toward did not give the undercover officer the weapons he had bought, police said.

Patients who heard about the arrest on television news programs called the Riviera Beach Police Department on Friday night. One woman said she was concerned and wanted to offer financial assistance, police said.